Buzz
The United States recently commemorated National Police Week, which took place from May 13 to May 19, 2018. This yearly observance provides a meaningful chance to honor police officers who have lost their lives or been injured in the line of duty. On May 13, thousands gathered on Washington’s National Mall for a poignant candlelight vigil. Tributes were paid to the many fallen officers, including 129 who lost their lives in 2017. Since 1791, a staggering 21,541 law enforcement officers have died while serving their communities.
Sometimes we overlook the fact that police officers not only put their lives on the line to protect the public but are also human beings with families and emotions. While there are certainly some bad apples in law enforcement, it’s important to acknowledge that the vast majority of officers join the force with the intention to serve and protect.
The finest police officers go beyond just apprehending criminals. They engage with their communities, build strong relationships, and work tirelessly to earn trust and respect. While holding officers accountable for their actions when things go wrong is crucial, it’s equally essential to celebrate the officers who exemplify their profession with honor and dignity.
With that in mind, let’s explore a few remarkable examples of such individuals. Here are 10 instances when police officers truly shone.
10. Festive Hams
The police officers of Altoona, Wisconsin, have a unique way of building rapport with their community. The police department used donations from an anonymous benefactor to purchase 26 hams. According to Police Chief Jesse James—a name that certainly commands trust—officers distributed the hams to those in need during the Christmas season.
Officer Tim Peterson stopped local resident Anne Bickle in the lead-up to Christmas 2017. Bickle recalled fearing she was about to receive a dreaded ticket for a traffic violation: “I wanted to spend money on Christmas, and money is already tight.”
Instead, she was handed a ham. Peterson explained the reasoning behind the department’s holiday gift: “I think anytime the public can see the police in a positive light, it’s a good thing.”
The Eau Claire County police departments also host an annual event called 'Kids N’ Cops.' The officers organize fundraising efforts and use the proceeds to purchase clothing and Christmas gifts for children in need.
The kids and officers head to Target to select toys and clothes. Afterward, the children visit Santa’s grotto and enjoy a meal. In 2015, the event brought holiday joy to more than 120 children.
9. The Prom
Several special needs students from Boynton Beach, Florida, chose to skip their own prom. It turned out that many of the students from John I. Leonard High School were unable to find dates and struggled to afford tickets for the event.
The Boynton Police Department stepped in to save the day. The officers raised the funds needed for the prom, provided corsages and boutonnieres, and escorted the students to the celebration. One local business, Beck’s Towing and Recovery, generously donated $500 to cover the group’s tickets.
“As important as this night is for these students, it means the world to us to be able to escort them to their prom. We are bursting with bbpdpride,” said Boynton Beach PD.
The idea for the prom came from Sandi and Scott Harris. Sandi works at the students' high school, while Scott is a retired officer from Boynton PD. When they put out a call for volunteers, around 30 officers offered to help. However, as the saying goes, 'Too many cooks spoil the broth,' so only a dozen officers were selected to be prom dates.
Boynton Beach police are well-known for their charitable efforts. They've supported causes like domestic abuse victims, Red Nose Day, Career Day, the 'Rock One Sock' campaign for missing children, and 'Paint with a Hero.' Additionally, their 'Coffee with a Cop' events give locals the chance to meet officers in person.
8. Organ Donation
In an extraordinary act of kindness, a heroic police officer from Riverside County, California, donated one of her kidneys to a total stranger. Deputy Tracey Newton participated in a kidney donation chain, providing the life-saving organ to someone in need.
A donation chain occurs when someone wishes to donate a kidney to a family member but isn't a match. An altruistic donor—someone who doesn't know the recipient but is a match—steps in to donate their kidney. In return, the family member who was not a match 'pays it forward' by donating their kidney to another stranger. This process creates a continuous chain of donations.
This system encourages people to donate even when their organs aren't going directly to someone they know. However, it relies on the kindness of individuals like Officer Newton to initiate the process.
Newton participated in an eight-person donation chain (four donors, four recipients). The transplant surgeries took place during National Donate Life Month at the Loma Linda University (LLU) Medical Center. LLU Surgeon Charles Bratton remarked: “Living donation in general, and this extraordinary eight-person chain in particular, highlights the very best of the human spirit and the art of medicine.”
In the U.S., approximately 5,000 people die each year while waiting for a kidney transplant. Currently, around 100,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney. As a result, donation chains are vital in saving lives.
Deputy Newton made her remarkable donation shortly after the tragic loss of her husband. “When he died, I just asked myself, what is left? What am I here to do?” she shared. Newton found inspiration from another heroic officer: her former colleague, Deputy Alicia Lopez.
Lopez donated a kidney to her friend’s three-year-old son, Matthew Castleberry. The young boy had been diagnosed with posterior urethral valve disorder, a birth defect that causes urinary tract blockages. After years of dialysis and surgery, Matthew is now living a healthy, normal life.
7. The Wedding Dance
In 2007, David Poling tragically lost his life in the line of duty. The courageous officer drowned while pursuing a suspect into the Ohio River, leaving behind his wife and two young daughters, Faith and Mikayla.
Fast forward to Mikayla’s wedding day in 2017, when the officers of the Gallipolis Police Department showed up to offer their support. To Mikayla’s surprise, a line of officers formed for the father-daughter dance. “They all started coming in one by one. I had no idea. When the first one walked out in uniform, I was just overcome with emotion,” Mikayla recalled.
The bride and groom are continuing David Poling’s legacy. Dakota Wroten, now a deputy with the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, drew significant inspiration from Mikayla’s father: “It’s always been in my heart to serve people and make a real difference, just like her dad did. I saw how he touched more lives in both life and death than most can imagine. I want to have that kind of impact.” Meanwhile, Mikayla is studying to become an intervention specialist.
A similar surprise awaited the daughter of slain sheriff’s deputy Kent Mundell Jr. In 2009, the 44-year-old officer was escorting a drunk man from a property in Eatonville, Washington, when the suspect pulled out a hidden weapon and shot Mundell. The loving father passed away from his injuries a week later.
In 2015, Kent Mundell’s daughter, Kirsten, married her long-time partner. During the ceremony, she reserved a seat for her late father. A picture of Kent and his police jacket were displayed prominently at the front.
Officers from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in Washington honored their fallen colleague by stepping in for him during the father-daughter dance. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the room,” recalled family friend Detective Don Jones. The emotional moment even moved the photographer to tears.
6. Delivering Babies
At times, police go well beyond the typical duties to serve their communities. While delivering babies isn’t a standard part of the job, there are moments when extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary actions.
One February morning in 2018, an expectant mother was en route to the hospital with her family. However, the baby decided to make an early appearance. As the woman rode the elevator in her Manhattan apartment building, the baby’s head began to crown.
Unable to move further, the mother collapsed on the elevator floor. After the family called 911, Sergeant Mashiel Santos and Officer Yoojin Park arrived at the scene and sprang into action. The officers comforted the mother and successfully delivered a healthy baby girl. An EMS team later arrived to cut the umbilical cord.
Meanwhile, NYPD Officer Doris Vega has become accustomed to her unexpected role as a midwife. Over the course of 17 years, she has delivered two babies. In 2017, Vega and her partner responded to a call about a woman bleeding. What they found was a woman in labor. “I saw a baby, [and] I immediately swooped in and went into action,” said Vega. Her first delivery occurred on Halloween.
In 2017, officers on duty in Brooklyn were approached by a frantic man who urgently needed help. They quickly learned that his wife was in the process of giving birth in the back of an SUV. The situation was complicated by the fact that the baby’s umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck.
Drawing on their training and a bit of quick thinking, the officers managed to clamp the cord using one of their shoelaces before carefully cutting it with a knife. With the baby safely delivered, the officers shared a collective sigh of relief.
5. A Christmas (Miracle) Car
In 2017, an elderly couple from Croydon, London, fell victim to car theft. A thief swiped their Austin Metro right from outside their home. Though the police eventually recovered the car, it was so severely damaged that they had no choice but to have it crushed. The couple, Linda and Michael Gibbs, were devastated. Without their car, they faced significant challenges in attending medical appointments or buying groceries.
Facing financial constraints and unable to afford a new car, the couple received help from the local police who started a fundraising campaign. The goal was to raise enough to buy the senior couple a Vauxhall Corsa. However, a local car dealership, moved by their story, generously donated the vehicle instead.
Detective Constable Helen Cooper shared, “Our hearts went out to Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs when we saw how upset they were to lose their car. It was a real lifeline to them. We just had to do something to help them.”
On Christmas Day, Metropolitan Police officers arrived at the Gibbses’ home, bringing the Corsa with them. In addition, they gifted the couple £2,300 to cover the cost of the car's insurance and its MOT vehicle inspection.
The good news didn’t stop there. Investigators uncovered forensic evidence that led to the arrest of the car thief. Fabion Wilfred pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced in January 2018.
4. Rescuing Helpless Animals
While the police may be busy donating organs or delivering babies, they also have a soft spot for rescuing small animals in need.
In 2018, officers took part in a variety of animal rescues. Deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department saved a pony stranded on a busy highway. Officers in Quincy, Massachusetts, rescued five baby raccoons from a trash bin. In Colorado, cops helped an owl that had become tangled in a soccer net. Meanwhile, NYPD officers saved two dogs from an overheated car, administering oxygen and transporting them to a nearby animal hospital.
Other rescues included the Farmington PD retrieving a pet iguana from a tree in New Mexico, cops from Watervliet, New York, delivering an injured deer to a veterinarian, and a Tampa PD officer rescuing a group of ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain.
One of the most remarkable animal rescues of 2018 came when a New Jersey cop performed an emergency C-section on a dead deer. After the deer was struck by a vehicle and killed, Officer Jim Vernon noticed movement inside the body. Realizing the unborn fawn was still alive, he performed a cesarean section and handed the baby deer over to animal control. That same day, Officer Vernon (also known as Officer Dolittle) was called to deal with a runaway horse.
3. Batting Away Crime
Chicago has long struggled with significant issues surrounding gun crime, violence, and general lawlessness. However, the Englewood Police believe they have found a unique solution to help combat the city’s crime epidemic: baseball.
The Englewood Police Youth Baseball League was created to provide a positive outlet for young children, keeping them off the streets. This initiative not only teaches the importance of teamwork but also fosters a sense of trust between the local police department and the younger generation. The program is funded by Get IN Chicago, a private organization dedicated to reducing juvenile violence across the city.
Dr. Toni Irving, executive director of Get IN Chicago, expressed, “The baseball league offers an excellent opportunity for our youth to engage in meaningful activities during the summer and for the community to build real connections with the police in Englewood.”
Marco Johnson, president of the Chicago Police Athletic League, noted that a lack of trust in the police can lead young people into gangs and street violence. With this in mind, authorities hope the baseball league will promote mutual respect and collaboration. District Commander Larry Watson reinforced this idea: “When you’re fishing, you’re not throwing a rock through a window.”
Since the league was established in 2015, it has introduced hundreds of young individuals to the sport. Each season, several retired and current officers volunteer to coach and mentor the youth teams. These teams play during the summer months, meeting once a week at Hamilton Park. Additionally, Englewood officers have organized other youth programs, including bowling, golf, swimming, and soccer.
2. Saving Abused Children
In 2015, seasoned officer Jody Thompson responded to a call about child abuse in Poteau, Oklahoma. What he found was horrifying. The eight-year-old victim, John, was covered in bruises and cuts. The severely malnourished boy had been left in a trash can filled with ice-cold water.
After investigators captured images of the boy’s injuries, Thompson took John to the hospital, staying by his side. “I knew I couldn’t let him out of my sight,” Thompson recalled.
Within days, Thompson had welcomed John into his home, fostering him as part of the family. Already a father of two biological sons, he soon learned that his wife was expecting once again. But this was just the beginning of an unexpected journey.
Seven months later, a call from the Department of Human Services brought more surprises. They informed Jody that John’s biological mother had given birth in prison. Without hesitation, Jody agreed to adopt the newborn girl, Paizley. Just like that, the Thompson family grew from two children to five.
In 2017, Jody was honored with a state commendation for his selflessness. Police Chief Stephen Fruen had only praise for his colleague, saying, “It’s men like you that make me proud of our law enforcement brothers and sisters. You are very deserving of this commendation. I am proud to serve with you.”
1. The Bearers Of Food
For most, calling the police for food is unimaginable. However, a single mother from New Jersey found herself in such dire circumstances that she had no other option. With empty cupboards and her children starving, she waited for food stamps, having no way to obtain food. Lacking transportation and with her mobile service disconnected, she reached out for help.
When the dispatcher from Camden County, Tondaleya Bagby, learned of the family’s plight, she sent an officer to evaluate the situation. Officer David Hinton, as a temporary solution, took the family to McDonald’s and treated the hungry children to Happy Meals. Bagby, along with her police sergeant mother, later paid for the groceries and delivered them after their shift. The team also contacted social services to assist the struggling family.
Bagby’s mother, Tracy Seigel, spoke of her daughter’s remarkable empathy: “She may not have much money, but she always finds a way. This is just who she is.” The Camden County Freeholders recognized Bagby and the officers for their selfless act of kindness during the family’s time of need.
A similar act of compassion took place in Boynton Beach when an elderly woman was targeted by two thieves at a local store. The 91-year-old woman was tricked by the criminals using distraction theft techniques, losing both her purse and food stamps.
Fortunately, Officer Janelle Jumelles arrived at the scene and immediately stepped in. Jumelles paid for the woman’s groceries, gave her a gift card, and took action to cancel the stolen credit cards, ensuring the elderly woman’s safety and peace of mind.
